The Londonderry High School Softball team picked up right where they left off last year.
After winning the state title in 2024, the Lancers began their quest to defend their crown last week with three straight victories.
The three wins included two, two-run wins on the road and a 22-run drubbing in the home opener against Keene.
In the Londonderry’s first game of the regular season, in Salem, against the Blue Devils, junior ace Elisabeth Kearny gave up just one hit, a homerun in the third inning, while striking out 13-batters and walking one to help her team in a 3-1 win.
The Lancers needed all seven inning to finally get three players across the plate in the Monday, April 14 game.
Two doubles and a pair of singles in the seventh inning brought in the three winning runs in the tight season opener.
Abby Austen led off the inning with a double, followed by a single by Kearney.
A sacrifice by Ginny Flaherty tied the game, followed by a single by Addison Martenez and a double by Shannon Crowley for the game winner.
Two days later, on a very cold and windy Lancer diamond, the Lancer bats came to life with a nine-run first inning and a 10-run third leading to a 24-2 five-inning victory over the Keene Blackbirds.
Kearney was four of five at the plate and pitched two shutout innings for the win.
Austin and Flaherty homered in the game with Flaherty going 3-4 at the plate while Austen hit a triple in her first at-bat and homerun in her second.
The LHS squad finished the first week of the season at the seacoast with their second two-run win.
On Friday, April 18, the Lancers beat the Portsmouth Clippers behind another brilliant performance by Kearney in the circle.
The junior had another one-hit game while striking out a staggering 17-batters for the 2-0 win.
The Lancers had one-run in the first and an insurance run in the seventh to reserve the victory.
The Lady Lancers are scheduled to play Spaulding on Friday, April 25 at 4 p.m.